


Life or Death Alliance

by Browa123, Kimcat



Category: Danny Phantom
Genre: Adventure, Alliances, Angst, Gen, Not Phantom Planet Compliant, Team Bonding
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-24
Updated: 2019-03-24
Packaged: 2019-12-07 01:47:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,009
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18228260
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Browa123/pseuds/Browa123, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kimcat/pseuds/Kimcat
Summary: Valerie Gray is in grave danger.Now on the run, she must team up with Amity Park's most notorious of ghost hunters to avoid being taken out. Vlad Masters is out for her head, and one wrong turn could cost lives.





	1. A Grave Mistake

Valerie has been planning this for weeks. Ever since she found out that scumbag Vlad Masters has been using her, she has never been more determined to hunt. 

Not even Phantom himself, the infamous ghost who ruined her life, holds a candle to the seething rage she bares for Masters. Rather, Plasmius, the true form behind the facade of the billionaire everyone thinks they know.

No, Phantom isn't the problem anymore. No matter what he's done to her life, Vlad is intentional with jumping at her, picking up the remains of her shattered world and crafting them into something he alone can use for his gain.

Destruction is in a ghost’s nature. To outright manipulate her, to use her broken life as a stepping stool is the lowest of evils. And today, Vlad Masters is going to pay for his crimes.

Valerie hears the weapons of her suit whine as it charges and she prepares for her flight across town, to where the monster has made his lair. She knows where to find him, and she has to take him out before he could do worse.

The hoverboard is under her feet in seconds, armor surrounding her fragile human body as the wind whips past her. She picks up speed, feeling the emotional turmoil of hate burning under her skin as buildings quickly moved by.

Valerie spots her destination ahead. A large, custom built mansion on the edge of Amity Park, where Vlad is living, ever since he became the mayor of the town. Valerie sneered at the thought of all people that he'd played.

More thoughts of how deep his roots twisted over the minds of the town made Valerie sick. If Vlad could so easily manipulate her, what could he do to the rest of the town? What has he already done? Is anyone even aware of his despicable influence that reaches every corner of Amity?

A growl bubbles in Valerie's throat. She feels her brows furrow as the lives of everyone in Amity weigh heavy on her shoulders. Vlad's games end here and now, she's sure of it.

The hoverboard swiftly moves across the grassy and expansive front lawn of the mansion, her weapons hot, and ready to fire. Valerie feels the familiar excitement of the hunt return as she pictures the barrel of her wrist ray in Vlad's smug face.

With a dramatic flare, just for the fun of it of course, Valerie thrown open the window to Vlad's study, primed and ready for the battle ahead. The Huntress is ready to face her greatest adversary yet. And, unlike Phantom, this one is sure to put up a fight.

“Ah, Valerie! What a nice surprise, what brings you here during an evening like this?” Vlad's voice cuts through the sounds of her heavy breathing and the whirrs of her suit. Just as manipulative as always, how has she never noticed the evil in his voice before?

Valerie raises the gun on her arm.”Enough with the games. I know exactly what's going on here now, and I'm not letting you use me any longer,” she growls, watching his eyes widen with shock. The look is very satisfying to Valerie.

“Now dear, no need to be so hasty. What lies has that Phantom been feeding you this time?” the Halfa purrs. Valerie felt her glare grow deeper as she holds the gun closer.

“Phantom didn't tell me anything. You did,” she begins, as the adrenaline rushes through her. “Back during the struggle with his cousin. I'd come back to check on you, only to see transform into a ghost! The game is up, Vlad!”

“I haven’t the faintest idea of what you might be referring to, my dear.” Vlad purrs as he maneuvers himself to sit straighter in his oversized plush chair, which furthers his air of superiority. "Perhaps it was a trick of the light?"

"I'm done playing ghost! I'm not your puppet any longer!" Valerie shouts as her gun whirls with gathered energy. "Danielle told me all about half ghosts." She sneered.

"Oh? Well now, this does change things." Vlad says simply, his shock melted away into a twisted smile.

Valerie lets out a huff of satisfaction at the admission. "Your right it does! It makes it all the more satisfying to wipe that smirk off your face," She sneers before she pulled the trigger. 

Click.

Valerie blinks and let out a yelp of surprise as her suit powers itself down against her will. "Ah, pity. I would have hoped you would be smarter than that girl," Vlad's blue eyes bleed away into a menacing glowing red. "Did you forget who gave you that suit? Who has been supplying you with upgrades and equipment?" 

 

“No…” Valerie curses under her breath as the hoverboard drops her out of the sky. The lack of power in the heavy armour leaves her exposed with little room to maneuver now that she was powerless. Vlad stands over her menacingly, eyes still bright crimson, almost soulless.

“Tell me, girl. What were you hoping to achieve in your little revenge scheme? Defeating me?” Dark rings, like shadows appear at the waist of the halfa, morphing him into his ghostly form. “Don't make me laugh.”

Hot plasma forms in Vlad's hand, aimed directly at the defenseless Huntress, who scrambles to get away. The armor on her body weighs her down like an anchor, keeping her grounded as the blast strikes true, scorching her chest.

Valerie feels a scream get ripped from her throat as the burning pain engulfed her, Vlad's sadistic laughing fills her ears. Without her suit, all the plans she's been making for weeks have been rendered worthless in a single moment.

“It is a shame, really. You were such a promising young hunter. Passionate, skilled, motivated…” Vlad raises his hand again, red eyes boring into her own soul. “But you know too much now. It's too dangerous to let you wander with this information any longer.”

Something begins to resonate under the burning pain in her chest, dark and churning, a sensation she's only felt echoes of before. The smouldering remains of her first suit flash in her mind. This feeling has to be fear. Fear of death.

Vlad is going to kill her.

“I wonder how we'll stage this little mishap. Ghost hunting accident? Red Huntress gets caught in a fight she can't win? Well, every good lie has to have some truth in it, dear girl…” the hot energy fills the room, fangs twisted into a most horrible smile.

How is such a heinous beast half human? There is nothing in those eyes but hatred and malice. There is an indescribable evil before Valerie, and she is powerless to stop it. She can't even raise her arms with the heavy armor weighing her down. Her greatest strength is now her greatest weakness, as the blast comes towards her.

Just as Valerie is about to meet her end, a dark streak moves in front of her, and a bright green flash fills her vision, replacing the hot pink. A figure stands between her and Vlad, holding the halfa's energy blast back with a shield of their own.

“Phantom…?” Valerie can barely speak, the only word being the name of the ghost in the midst of saving her life. The ghost boy in question turns his head back to her and flashes a smile before pushing Vlad back.

“Someone's lucky I followed them,” he quips in his usual, amused tone. He holds the shield over them, turning back to Vlad. “I was wondering what you were doing out without any ghosts around. Nice night for a frootloop fight, huh?”

“Stupid boy,” Vlad gripes, His face contorting into an angry sneer. 

“What do you think your doing ghost boy?” Valerie manages to rasp out between breaths.

“A thank you would be nice.” Phantom throws over his shoulder, though worry shone in his eyes. 

“Oh how quaint, swooping in to save the day as usual,” Vlad growls out before splitting his form into four copies in an attempt to surround the pair. “Pity a ghost like you feels the need to lower himself to those beneath him,” the halfa sneers before letting loose a volley of shots hoping to overwhelm the ghost boy’s shield. 

“Good thing about bein’ low though is you’ve got nowhere to go but up!” Phantom grunts against the strain from his shield before finally pushing back the blasts. His body began glowing a bright ecto- green as he slowly began to peel away from himself, producing three identical Phantoms eyes glowing brightly as he stared down the Plasmius copies. 

“You on the other hand have a long way to fall!” The three white haired teens chant out together. 

“Oh please. Your nothing but a child!” Vlad chides back, blocking a blast thrown his way. 

Valerie let out a squawk as a stray fuchsia blast hit her shin. Phantom’s eyes flash to her quickly when he heard the distressed noise, assessing the damage. A Vlad clone popped, dissipating into a swirl of pink smoke. The colour seems to reflect eerily on the polished floor.

“Ha! One down!” Phantom calls a smirk adorning his smug face. 

Valerie glares at the nearest Vlad clone doing everything she can, trying to will her suit back into her own control. At least Phantom has the advantage now, three on two are much better odds.

Wait. Isn’t there four clones? “Phantom look out!” Valerie calls out just as Vlad comes up through the floor, catching the ghostly teen on the bottom of his jaw, and launching him upwards. 

The shock from the blow forces Phantom’s own clones to dissipate, as he falls through the rising vapour of their remains, landing on the polished tile with a loud thud. 

“Is that the best you have little badger, really?” Vlad chastises, approaching the downed teen, reabsorbing his own clones as he floated downward. 

He grabs the back of Phantom's collar and hoisted him up, fangs glistening as he held a cruel smile. 

“No…” He huffs out eyes half closed. “This is!” Suddenly the temperature in the room plummets as his eyes take on a neon blue glow. 

Vlad let out a hiss as he drops the smaller ghost, arm now encased in ice. Phantom quickly lets out another blast, securing the older halfa’s feet to the floor before rubbing at his throat where he was held. 

“That won’t hold him long.” Phantom pants out, turning to Valerie. He quickly grabs her, hoisting the injured girl onto his back. “Wow, this suit of yours weighs, like, a ton,” he comments as he starts heading for the window.

Valerie only gives an annoyed huff as they head off into the night air to find a place to rest. Phantom's flight pattern wavers, his exhaustion prominent as he dives into an alleyway where the two would be mostly hidden from view.

“Alright. Let's check your burns,” the ghost pants, heavily. Though, Valerie doesn't know why he's bothering to. Now that she was away from Vlad though, she could finally get her suit to bend to her will. 

The armor fades, leaving the burns on her chest exposed. Phantom appears to pale, quite the achievement for the ghost. The pain sets back in and Valerie groans, no more adrenaline to dull the pain of the scalded flesh.

“Ouch, yeah. These are pretty bad…” Phantom comments as his eyes return to glowing light and bright blue. The same aura moves along his arms and to his hands. “The cold might sting, but it's for the best to get ice on them.”

Phantom presses his glowing hands on the burns, Valerie takes a sharp inhale as hot and cold meet, and in turn she suppresses a shiver. “Why are you helping me?” She asks, finding some of her voice again.

“Just doing my job,” Phantom replies, careful not to move too much while acting as a sentient ice pack. Already, the burns were starting to cool, and Phantom seemed fairly skilled in healing them with his powers, almost like he's done this before.

“Yeah, sure…” Valerie takes her mind off it, letting the cold numb the pain of her wounds. “But why are you helping me? I've hunted you to the ends of the earth and this is how you handle me when I'm powerless?”

“You're not powerless,” Phantom counters, more focused on holding his icy palms steady as they sit in the alleyway. “I'm sure you could deck me pretty good in the nose from your position if you wanted to.”

“Always with the smart mouth,” Valerie huffs. She suppresses a pained groan, still very confused as to why a ghost is being so selfless. It wasn't in their nature, from what she's read before.

Then again, all of that stuff came from Vlad in one way or another. Axion was under his name, he'd made her hunting gear… It's an ugly realization now that Valerie thinks about it.

He has all the information on ghosts, and just like any greedy power-head, he can control the flow of it to make people believe what he wants them to. Vlad set himself up to win so early in the beginning that she never had a lick of a chance in the first place.

“That's Vlad for you… always staying one step ahead,” Phantom mutters. “I've been dealing with that whackjob three years now and I'm no closer to stopping him than when I started…”

“You've known he was the real threat longer than I have,” Valerie adds, sighing. She really didn't stand a chance if not even Phantom has been able to do much, and he's had three years to try.

“Not much we can do now…” the ice in his hands fades. “We are some of the only ones who knows what he's actually like. The rest of the world eats out of the palm of his hand because he's got money and power. Anyone who doesn't, gets forced to.”

“Or disappears,” Valerie hisses, feeling the pain return. Vlad is out to kill her now. She has dangerous information, and he has everything else, including power over her only line of defense. 

The only reason she's even alive right now is due to the fact that Phantom, her arch enemy up until a few weeks ago, came to save her.

“Alright. Just stay here for a bit, I'm going to go find a first aid kit to wrap those burns with. I'm running out of power and need a break soon,” Phantom stands, flashing another grin. It's less cocky and more tired this time, as he moves to leave the alleyway.

“You're not going anywhere, Ghost!”

A third voice cuts through the quiet of the alley just as Phantom was leaving. A look of worry and disdain contorts Phantom's face as he takes a step back. 

Two jumpsuited figures, armed to the teeth and scowling, appear at the entrance to the alleyway. They both train their oversized weapons on Phantom, who takes another step back.

“Look, let's talk about this-” he begins, before a quick blast nicks his shoulder, causing him to double over as the ectoplasm steams where it was hit.

“Step away from the victim, Phantom. You've hurt her enough,” Jack booms, his gun a bit off to the left, but still a pretty clear hit if it were to fire due to the size of the barrel.

“Victim? You think I hurt her??” Phantom sputters in disbelief, raising his hands and keeping them shoulder level. “Why is it always me who gets the blame for someone else's mess…” he growls under his breath.

“There's no other ghosts around to cause ectoplasmic burns,” Maddie deduces a bit preemptively, aiming her weapon at Phantom's chest this time. The startled ghost takes another step back, his rear end meeting brick as the tiredness sets in. 

Valerie can see it, he doesn't have enough energy to phase through the wall. He spent it all trying to heal her, and now another ghost hunter would end his afterlife because he saved her.

The Huntress looks between Phantom and the Fentons, and her determination solidifies. Before they can fire on him again, Valerie calls in her suit and quickly pulls a deflector over them both.

“What the-” Phantom sputters, and it's Valerie's turn to smirk through the pain of her wounds.

“You save my ass, I save yours,” she replies, leaving Phantom a bit shell shocked as she holds the shield and looks over at the equally stunned Fentons across from her.

“Phantom didn't attack me,” she states bluntly, holding the shield in place. “He was saving me from a ghost that was trying to kill me.”

Maddie and Jack exchange a look between themselves silently convercing before turning their steely gaze back towards the teens. “Ghosts don’t act altruistically.” Maddie says licking her lips as her gaze flickers over to the white haired spectre. “If the ghost boy saved you it’s because he’s hoping to get something out of it. Now knowing your the Red Huntress I can see he got exactly what he wanted.” She finished with a snide tone reaiming her gun towards the ghost.

Phantom let out an exasperated sigh as the blue clad huntresses gun began to warm up for another shot. The ghost blinks and subconsciously began moving closer behind Valerie. “The only thing I wanted was to not see someone get hurt!” He exclaims. 

“Think the ghost’s brainwashed her?” Jack asks his wife, an eager look on his face. “I can finally test out the Fenton Extractor!” 

“I didn‘t do anything to her!”

“He’s not the one who did this!” Valerie echoes. “It was V- Plasmius!”

“Plasmius?” Maddie asks dubiously, as if playing with the name on her tongue. 

"You guys know him as the Wisconsin Ghost. I um, think" Phantom offers helpfully. “We fight a lot…”

"He's the real threat here! You have no Idea what he's capable of!" Valerie growls out, her anger at the man coming through. "Phantom's an ass and barely tolerable at the best of times-"

"Hey!"

"But at least I can honestly say he has some form of morality." She finishes shooting a slight glare over her shoulder to the now scowling ghost. 

"Thanks, I think..." Phantom knits his brow together as if thinking too hard on something. 

"We've come to a truce." Valerie states levely. "I'm in control of my own actions. My suit prevents ghosts from overshadowing me."

"That still doesn't mean he's not manipulating you!" Jack's booming voice reverberates in the small space of the alley. 

"He's not the one who's been using me," she growls out, tentatively dropping her shield as the Fenton's lowered their weapons, thankful for the reprieve from her still achy burns. “If anything I’m going to be using him to take down Plasmius for good!”

“That’s -” Phantom starts but a glare flashed by the Red Huntress silenced whatever he was going to say.

"So you're using that ghost to take down an even bigger ghost?" Jack booms.

"Sure we'll go with that." Phantom quips out only to laugh nervously as all eyes were suddenly glaring at him. "Well it's close enough right?" He shrugs.

"How can The Wisc- er Plasmius be worse than the ghost kid?" Maddie asks motioning to said spectre with the end of her gun. "He's the one constantly destroying the town." 

"Am not! I get thrown into the buildings. It's not like I hurl myself into them head first on purpose!" Phantom cries indignity.

“I suppose that’s a valid point…” Maddie says thoughtfully. “A ghosts’ self preservation usually tops everything else in their being, save for, perhaps, their obsession.” 

“Okay, is it really that hard to believe there are good ghosts out there?” Phantom huffs, crossing his arms. Once again he was met with three sets of blank stares from the hunters. “Well, to be fair, the ones that hang around Amity aren't the best of examples…”

“Shut up ghost boy. If you want my help, stop digging yourself into a deeper grave, and keep that trap of yours locked,” Valerie huffed. Turning to fully face the Fentons, she raised her arms in a placating gesture.

“Look. Plasmius…. He's not a normal ghost, he's some kind of bastardization, a hybrid monstrosity.” Phantom's slight flinch went unnoticed, “He can hide perfectly among humans because he's only a half-ghost and he even has a human identity as V-”

“Val don't.” Phantom snaps cutting the girl off. She turned to glare at the spectre only to find his bright eyes alight with worry. He spoke plainly, all humor gone from his voice, warning clear in his tone. “If he finds out that they know what do you think will happen? He knows ghost tech, he knows Fenton tech, there's only so much they can do.” 

“They can help us take him down! You said it yourself he's powerful, so the more man power we have the better our chances!” Valerie shot back.

“This is different… With them.” Phantom waves a weary hand in the adults direction. He blinked slowly before sighing in defeat. “Look, do you know how many times I've had to debug their house?” He mutters softly, eyes flicking to the mouth of the alley and back again.

“You what?!” Apparently not softly enough. The whirring of the blue clad woman's gun begins ramping up the tension again as the barrel was leveled at the monochromatic ghost.

“He spies on you two regularly…That means he sees you as a threat to some degree.” The spectral teen says carefully. Ducking further behind the only ally he had at the moment. “I even found one in your kid's bedrooms more than once.”

“That… How dare that piece of ectoplasmic skum!” Maddie howls. Inwardly Phantom felt some relief. The only thing that could blind the adult Fentons more then ghosts, was the need ro protect their children.

“All the more reason to hate that waste of space.” Valerie growls out.

"So, just to be clear... Are we good? Like on a long truce, or is this just a this for that sort of thing?" 

"Not the time!" Valerie hisses angrily, looking over to the Fentons again. “Look, the facts are, Plasmius is out to kill me now. And he has the ability to do it without anyone knowing! I need Phantom to keep Plasmius at bay long enough to find a way to deal with him.”

Jack and Maddie exchange looks. While it’s true that they’ve been hunting Phantom all over the town for years now, what Valerie is talking about, and what has been revealed about this Plasmius ghost thus far, was making quite the argument.

This Wisconsin Ghost had been just as much a thorn in their side since the first time they encountered it. Overshadowing Jack, trying to steal the Fenton Portal, direct terrorizing of the Fenton Family themselves, the list goes on.

If Phantom was the key to finally putting a stop to this Plasmius ghost and ensuring peace for the Fentons from the direct menace, as well as saving the life of a fellow hunter and teen, perhaps it is the best course of action.

Valerie goes to school with Danny for heaven’s sake! They can find it in themselves to make the right choice.

“Alright. We have a truce,” Maddie sighs in resignation, powering down her weapons. Jack follows the lead of his wife. Valerie too lets the suit drop off her, her burns coming back into her mind once again, causing her to wince.

Phantom moves to support her weight, and can feel Maddie glaring down his back.

“But Phantom, you try anything, anything at all, to harm our chances of stopping Plasmius, and I’ll have a gun to your head faster than your core will ever process the information,” she growls at the ghost, who raises a free hand in surrender.

“Come on, let’s get her back to shelter so she can heal,” Phantom grunts, helping to lead Valerie though the alleyway. He barely got three steps before Jack scoops her out of the ghost’s grasp, causing Phantom to jump in shock.

“I’ll carry her, ghost,” Jack states gruffly, giving the ghost a stink eye that causes him to shy off a bit.

“It's fine. You're tired anyways” Valerie said simply, shooting Phantom a pointed look. The ghost huffed, doing his best to act confident, but failing to keep the weariness out of his eyes.

Jack took the lead with Maddie tailing in the back of the procession in a silent agreement to keep Phantom in one of their sightlines at all times. 

It didn't take long to arrive at the Fenton's abode. Phantom had managed to regain enough energy to hover rather then walk, much to the disdain of the adult hunters. As soon as they were inside the large building Maddie threw up the ghost shield causing a shiver to pass over Phantom.

“That should keep that spook out.” Jack nods approvingly, as he lays the teen hunter down on the couch. She lets out a hiss in pain as she resettles herself into the least painful spot.

Phantom looks out the window with a frown pulling on his lips, the green light casting odd shadows in the living room giving the ghostly teen an even more eerie glow.

Suddenly a gasp from Valerie drew the attention of the spectre. “Woah hey what-” He starts 

“My father! I gotta go t-!” She cuts herself off with a hiss and Jack forces her back down. “If Plasmius can't get to me…” she tried, unable to finish the thought plaguing her mind.

“You are in no state to go anywhere!” Maddie says to the girl as she returns with a first aid kit, sending a look that pins the teen hunter who had once again started struggling to sit up. 

Valerie flinches under the fierce gaze but her resolve doesn't falter. “My dad…. He he knows my dad!” 

“Doesn't he work at Axion?” Phantom asks, instantly registering the threat.

“Yea” Valerie nods, hissing slightly in pain as she shifts to better look at him. “He should have headed out for home by now,” her tone was laced with worry. 

Phantom nods firmly in understanding before turning his gaze to the adults in the room. “Drop the shield for a few seconds and let me out.”

“Not a chance, spook!” Jack glares at the ghostly teen. “We'll go get him ourselves!” 

“So you want to leave me, a ghost, alone here, with an injured hunter, while you two try to track her father down?” Phantom asks with a smug look on his face.

“I'll be looking after her wounds, you putrid pile of ectoplasm.” Maddie growls out.

“No offence Mr. Fenton, but your not exactly the stealthiest person on your own…” Says Valerie.

“Not the best shot either,” Phantom adds.

“I hate to agree with this annoyance, but he has a point…” Valerie sighs out in defeat. She locks her eyes onto the white haired ghost who'd ruined her life, anger bubbling within the pit of her gut. 

She narrows her eyes in scrutiny at him, before realizing that in this instance she was more angry at having to put her trust in him, and that she was too injured to do anything herself, than anything else.

“Give me your word,” she says after a few beats of silence. While her body was weak the tone she used had a finality within it.

“What?” Phantom jolts, clearly caught off guard.

“You told me once you never break a promise. So give me your word you will get my father here, to safety, at all costs.” She affirms adamantly, lips pulling taut into a line.

Phantom's eyes soften knowing all too well what it's like to worry over one's parent at Vlad’s mercy. “I promise. I'll do whatever I can to protect him,” Phantom says, raising a hand to his chest, right over his core. 

“You better keep that promise, ghost. Go,” Valerie decides with resignation. Phantom keeps his hands up as Maddie hesitantly drops the shield around the Fenton home. 

The ghost is quick to leave, having been in near proximity to the portal, housed within the basement of Fentonworks, allowed him to gather some strength. He keeps a fast pace in the air as he heads towards his destination. 

Axion Labs was just ahead, and Danny wasn’t one to break a promise, especially not one this important.

Though the orange and green glow from the labs do not appear to be a good sign. 

When Danny arrives, everything is already a mess, a few employees scatter in blind panic as they run out the doors. Valerie’s father must still be inside somewhere, along with whichever employees may be within vicinity of him..

Newfound determination floods his core, allowing him a slight surge of power as he moves inside the lab. Phantom immediately starts pulling people out. 

Intangibility is a useful tool. With it, he can get the workers in the lab to safety, without much trouble or worry about dead ends and the like. He tells the first few employees to call for help and to get to safety before diving back into the collapsing laboratory.

The source of the issue snarls at him a few rooms later. A massive animalistic ghost had nearly crashed into Danny whilst tearing through Axion. It was plain as day where the monster had come from.

The young halfa can’t help but growl as he blasts the awful thing in the face, knocking it backwards. Vlad and his lackeys have been here for a while now, most likely setting up this assault during the time he was tending to Valerie. He just hoped he could save everyone, Damon Gray included.

More trips in and out though the lab, getting people to get to safety, allowed Phantom to build a mental map of the area. The authorities had arrived at some point to escort everyone Danny pulled out of Axion away from the premises, or to medical help if needed.

Still no sign of Valerie’s father though, and it was making Danny anxious. He had overheard the emergency responders state Damon Grey was the only one not currently accounted for. Phantom needed to find him, and fast! 

The long corridors of Axion seemed to grow longer as more ghostly animals attacked from every angle, tearing the labs to shreds. Luckily most were dispatched easily.

“Come on, come on…” mutters Danny, as he reaches the back of the large building, more feral ghosts coming through at every angle. Suddenly, there was the sound of a laser blast nearby, meaning there was another human ahead.

“Hang on! Help’s on the way!” The halfa calls through the crowd, blasting the animals as he went. Their unstable ecto signatures causes them to destabilize with a well aimed shot. Any of the ghosts that were more durable would swiftly met the end of his trusty Fenton Thermos.

Danny bursts through the last set of doors, many ghosts surrounding a human that appeared to run out of charges in his blaster. 

“There he is!” Relief floods Danny as he uses his remaining strength to push away as many ghostly critters as he can.

“You?!” Damon sputters, as Phantom pushes back the ghosts. The exhaustion was returning full force now, so he knew he didn’t have much more time.

“Your daughter wants to see you,” Phantom pants, leaving no room for argument, as he pulls Damon out of the lab before more ghosts could come after them. He quickly flies away with Damon in tow, turning invisible from the news crews already on the scene.

“Thank you Tiffany!” Lance’s voice cuts through the speakers of the TV in the Fentonworks household, as three hunters and one psychologist in training, sit around the set. “Right now I’m at Axion Labs, where a mass ghost attack has begun!”

Valerie grips her chest, fearing for the life of her father. Jazz calmingly puts a hand on her shoulder. The news station had begun airing the attack only moments ago, and everyone in the room was on the edge of their seat.

“Amity Park’s own Danny Phantom was the first to arrive on the scene, and is currently rescuing everyone inside the collapsing building,” the camera moves to the building, a familiar black blur swiftly moving between the gathered police cars and the chaos of the Axion building.

“Danny should see this too,” Maddie mutters, looking around the room for their once again missing son. “Jasmine, where is your brother?”

“He called to say he’s watching a movie at Sam’s house,” she replies quickly, a bit panicked. “I’ll text him about the news, I’m sure he’ll see it for himself soon,” she adds, relaxing slightly when no one questioned her. She pulls out her phone and types out the quick cover story, sending it over to Sam.

“We're joined now with the supervisor of the building to tell us more about what exactly happened,” the on-site reporter said passing off a microphone to a greying portly looking man.

Valerie found herself tuning out the report and instead began nervously bouncing her leg as the supervisor told his account of what had happened. There was a bit ot B-roll of the burning building, as the studio reporter took back over the story for a bit until the next person, a fire chief by the looks of the uniform, came on screen.

“We have received a list of the personnel who were on premise, and as of right now it looks like between emergency responders, and the people Phantom pulled out, there appears to be only one unaccounted for. Damon Grey seems to have been in the deepest part of the building at the time the attack started. Our brigade found what we assume to be his standard issue anti-ghost pistol down in the southern wing. There are signs of a ghosts blasts…..” 

Valerie didn’t hear the rest as she felt her heart stop. Luckily she didn't need to wallow in sorrow for long as the Fentons ghost proximity alarm started blaring.

“Ghost!” Jack booms, whist his daughter facepalms.

The large man takes off running heading outside brandishing Fenton Bazooka with Maddie following close behind, ecto ray at the ready.

“Drop the shield!” Phantom calls turning visible as he nears the last few metres in front of the shield. Neither of the adults moved too stunned that a ghost had actually kept it's word. 

Jazz ends up dropping it instead while her parents sit in their stupor. The static fizz of the shield being disabled snaps the doctors back into action. 

Phantom whizzes by the adults and through the open door just as the shield was re-established around the house. Jazz sighs in relief moving away from the security controls in favour of glaring down her little brother. 

“Dad!” Valerie cries in relief launching herself at the shakey man and locks her arms around his neck.

“Valerie? What's going on?” Damon asks gasping on to his daughter like a lifeline. “Phantom didn't say much before he pulled me out of the building. It's also hard to talk speeding in the air at freeway speeds.” at this he sent a slight glare at the spectre.

“There's a ghost who's after her. And since she escaped, you became his target to try to lure her out.” Phantom says tiredness seeping into his voice. His glow had dimmed quite considerably making him look almost human. 

“A gh- Valerie I told you this ghost hunting would lead to nothing but trouble!” He exclaims pulling away from the girl to get a better look at his daughter. “Look at you! you're covered in bandages! What happened to you?!”

“Mister Grey! Your bleeding!” Jazz proclaims, grasping the man's arm to examine the large scrape. 

Phantom snaps his attention towards Jazz before snatching up the first aid kit. He opens it easily and begins digging through its contents. He picks out an antiseptic spray and some gauze pads before turning back to Valerie’s father. 

“Not a chance ghost,” Valerie huffs, snatching away the medical supplies. 

Phantom in turn raises his hands in surrender. “At least let Jazz or the other Fentons handle this, you're still badly burned. Both of you are.”

Jazz carefully pries the supplies from Valerie. “I'll take it from here, you need to rest.”

Valerie reluctantly hands over the medical supplies, folding her arms and grunting in pain at the action, while Jazz tends to Damon's wounds.

Phantom meanders to the other corner of the living room, electing to keep himself as far away from the trained ghost hunters as he can manage.

“How did you know where the Fenton First Aid Kit was?” Maddie turns to the ghost and raises a brow. It was to be suspect that he knew exactly where to get it, let alone how to use it.

“Like I said, Plasmius bugs the place all the time. I do routine checks to get all the bugs out before he learns anything he shouldn't,” he smiles playfully, folding his arms as well. 

“And it was still out on the table,” Jazz shoots over to them without looking up.

“Don't test your luck.” Maddie sneers.

“Wouldn't dream of purposefully getting on the wrong side of the best ghost hunters in Amity park,” Phantom offers, smirking.

“Flattery will get you nowhere, ghost. Unlike the people in town, none of us are going to fall for your petty tricks,” Maddie spits back, to which Phantom can only shrug.

Damon had taken a seat by his daughter after both were properly bandaged. He gives a defeated sigh and looks at the ground, knowing what's to come.

“Valerie, sweetie, I'm going to be honest with you,” he looks his daughter in the eyes with a sad look. “Due to Axion going under like this, I won't have enough money to pay the rent on our apartment. The money from the company’s insurances is only going to cover half of my normal pay.”

“We can't? But then where are we going to live? What are we going to do about the ghost trying to kill me?” Valerie bursts, just barely being able to control herself, lest she throw her arms out and re-open her wounds.

“I don't know. I honestly don't know. I'm scared of losing our apartment, but I'm even more scared for you! There's going to be ghosts coming after my daughter all hours of the day now,” Damon puts his head in his hands.

“Not if I have anything to say about it,” Phantom grunts from across the room, causing every hunter in the room to jolt. Despite his ghostly nature, the determination in his eyes are bright and burning.

“I have a lot to make up to you, Valerie.” Phantom begins, closing his bright, glowing eyes. “I put you in this mess. I'm the reason you started ghost hunting, and why you're even in this mess. After you saved my cousin, and after everything you've been through, I more than owe it to you to keep you safe.”

Despite the dimmed glow, Phantom found himself standing strong for a moment. “It's my job to protect Amity Park, and everyone in it. That includes you. And Plasmius isn't going to lay a finger on you, so long as I'm around.”

His glow flickers again. Jazz tenses. “But Phantom, you can't… stay in the human world much longer! Your core is obviously on its last legs and you need to go rest, now.”

“Jazz-” Phantom begins.

“No excuses. You know where the ghost portal is, go regenerate and we'll watch Valerie while you're gone.”

Phantom looks between the hunters and Jazz, before defeatedly taking a cautious step toward the basement doors. “I'll be back tomorrow, you have my word.”

“What's the word of a ghost worth?” Jack mutters as Phantom disappears through the door to get into the lab instead of turning intangible.

“The life of Valerie’s dad, the last time you two trusted it,” Jazz counters, only to get disapproving looks from her parents.

“Honey, I know you're a fan of Phantom, but despite everything, a ghost is still a ghost. This truce is only temporary on the basis that there's human lives in danger,” Maddie puts a hand on her daughter's shoulder.

“Yeah, just you watch, Jazzypants! We're going to blow that Plasmius ghost through three separate dimensions by the time we're done with him!” Jack declares proudly, puffing out his chest.

“And Mr. Gray? We would be honored to keep you and your daughter safe under the ghost shield until the crisis is resolved and you find a new home,” Maddie claps her hands together and offers a warm smile.

“Thank you Mrs. Fenton, your hospitality means more than you know,” Damon replies, looking a bit tense.

The front door swings open moments later, and Danny stumbles awkwardly into the house, looking exhausted. He smiles at his family, and feigns surprise at seeing Valerie and her father on the couch.

“Hey Danny! How was the movie with Sam?” Jazz prompts quickly, allowing Danny to catch on to tonight's cover story.

“Oh, oh yeah! It was… really good! A bunch of cool animation and stuff,” he reviews, panting. “What's Valerie and her dad doing over?”

“Tough spot in a ghost attack, Danno. A real nasty piece of work is after the two of them. So, they're staying with the Fentons until we knock it's ugly mug out of town for good!” Jack supplies.

“Oh. Well I'm glad you guys are safe,” Danny smiles a bit wider. “If you don't mind, another ghost attack left the bus from Sam's down and I had to run here. I'll see you in the morning, Val!”

Danny quickly retreats to his room, leaving everything to simmer down for a bit. The ghost hunters and Jazz exchange looks.

“What now?” The elder Fenton sibling asks.

“Now, we wait. Plasmius is on the move because he's threatened. He'll want me taken care of as quickly as possible, and that means playing dirty. We need to know his moves before he tries anything too drastic for us to handle,” Valerie informs them.

“That's the game plan then. Everyone better keep their eyes and ears open. If what Phantom has been saying about Plasmius watching us closely is true, we need to be ready for what he has planned to counter us!” Jack booms once more.

Across the room, a beetle sat innocently on the wall. The mechanical whirrs of the object zooming in goes unheard as it transmits information back to its creator.

“Ah, so that's how we're playing this little game, then…” Vlad sneers with a fanged grin.


	2. 2 - Morning After

Valerie lay staring at the darkened ceiling of the Fenton's spare bedroom. The light of the ghost shield casting creepy shadows along the walls seemed to pulse in time with her heart rate. While she had been allowed use of the spare room her father had elected to simply sleep on the sofa.

  
Her suit's ghost alarm has gone off numerous times already throughout the night. She begrudgingly knows she can't do anything about it, though it was making it hard to relax enough to sleep.   
  
Although as much as the beeping is being a nuisance, she'd be lying to herself if she is to say that is the only thing keeping her awake.    
  
Valerie releases a sigh and thinks back to when she was in the living room downstairs. Danny, the youngest of the Fenton family, barely said two words to her before retreating to his own bedroom.   
  
With all the stress and anxiety over Plasmius, Valerie couldn't stop her mind from fretting over the simplest things. Is Danny upset with her over something? Is it just awkward sharing such a close space with his ex?   
  
"Ugh, this is stupid..." She growls to herself, throwing the comforter off as she sits up. Valerie stares into her reflection within the dresser’s mirror adjusting the oversized pale blue nightgown Jazz had lent her for the night.

  
Valerie lets out another sigh before steeling her nerves. She is not some easily frazzled airhead who can't do anything for herself. She pushes off the bed fully, giving one final check to see that she's properly covered, before making her way out of the room. 

 

The hall is just as dark as the room she's leaving, but a small, cartooney ghost shaped night light provides her with enough ambient light, to not trip over the carpeting.

 

She makes the short trek down the hall before standing in front of Danny's closed bedroom door. With a deep breath, she knocks, and waits to hear the soft shuffling from within. 

 

A loud thud, and a crunch of plastic are heard before a frazzled looking Danny opens the door, his eyes more alert then she would have thought from the usually unassuming teen.

 

“Val? What are you doing here? Um, at my room I mean,” He trails off awkwardly, before rubbing at his icy blue eyes.

 

“Can we talk? I just need to put my mind to rest about something” Valerie half whispers, pushing past Danny to take up residence within his room.

 

“Oh? Um, sure?” He answers nervously offering her his computer chair. His eyes seem to dart about the room, not unlike that of a trapped animal. 

 

Valerie refuses the chair, instead opting to lean on the edge of the desk. “I know it's probably weird for me to be staying here,” Valerie says, unable to keep eye contact. “But humor me alright? Are we okay?” 

 

“Okay? What do you mean?” Danny blinks his eyes rapidly as if caught off guard.

 

“Well I know we haven't really talked a lot since we broke up, and well you hurried away from me earlier, and well…” She trails off with a shake of her head.

 

“W-what? That's all? O-oh! I mean yeah! Er no! I was just really tired and still kind of um, jittery from the... Ghost attack! And well you know how I am around ghosts… Heh…” The dark haired teen stammered out awkwardly, though his tense posture relaxes some. “It had nothing to do with you, honest.”

 

“That's a relief… Ugh! This whole this has got me so stressed out!” Valerie grinds out. “I can't even think straight!”  

 

“It's alright Val, you'll get through it. You're um, really strong so I know you'll be able to pull through.” Danny offers a smile hoping to give some comfort. Not a second later a shiver racked through him, and his breath fogged the front of his vision.

 

“Yeah… Thanks Danny, really. For everything,” Valerie says turning to leave, much to said male's relief. “By the way your room is freezing!” 

 

“Heh, heh, yeah, I um… overheat at night?” Danny blinks owlishly before offering a nervous smile. “But I'm super tired,” he gave an over exaggerated yawn for added effect. “Night Val!” 

 

“Night Danny,” Valerie sighs. Well, that didn't accomplish anything.

 

Sure, it's a relief that Danny is still okay with her after the break up, but can she really take his words at face value? She's sure he wasn't just jittery from the cold.

 

Valerie decides she's stressing too much. It's been a long day, and her relationship with Danny should be lower on the priority list. 

 

As much as she hates to think of it that way, everything with Vlad and Phantom just seemed too overwhelming. She didn't want to deal with Danny related stress on top of it all.

 

Valerie releases a yawn of her own, moving back to bed, and burying herself under the covers. Still, sleep is a slow process. The edges of her dreams are filled with murderous red eyes, and green ones full of worry.

 

For a moment, the green eyes turn blue, and Valerie shivers.

 

When the sun rises, Valerie grabs her pillow and holds it over her face, trying to keep the sunlight from piercing her fitful sleep. She isn't even out of bed yet and she already feels like a mess.

 

With extreme reluctance, the Huntress removes the pillow over her face, sunlight creeping through the ghost shield in the window. 

 

Valerie may have slept, but it was an awful mess of nightmares and dreams that made no sense. And, now that she's awake, she can't remember most of them either.

 

The appearance of the Fenton household drags back memories of last night, and Valerie can't help but grimace.

 

She'd failed, and it wasn't just her in danger. Her father, the Fentons, Danny Phantom himself…

 

Then again, Phantom had always been fighting Plasmius. That much was clear, with how he is always detesting the very mention of Vlad's name. 

 

What did Phantom have against the half ghost? Well, besides something that wasn't already obvious. Phantom is a ghost, so his otherworldly hatred must be something a human couldn't comprehend.

 

It doesn't make it hurt less though. Phantom knows the bigger threat, and has longer than her. She’s never listened to him because of what happened in the past. Valerie can't help but feel stupid in light of that fact.

 

Come to think of it, Vlad immediately sent Valerie the ghost hunting gear, almost the instant Phantom and his ghost dog caused a ruckus. Like he had known it would happen.

 

What bad ectoplasm runs between Phantom and Plasmius must be very deep, seeing as Plasmius was using her as a weapon. And against Phantom specifically? Now that's a thought.

 

“Looks like I'm going to be having a long talk with that ghost when he gets back,” Valerie mutters to herself.

 

Valerie groans as a knock on her bedroom door finally drags her up. Her muscles feel stiff, but when she tries to stretch them out, she lets a low hiss of pain escape her lips. 

 

The knock is louder this time and Valerie half calls, half groans out a “Gimme a sec!” 

 

She opens the door with a scowl, much to the amusement of who's on the other side. “Thought you might want these,” Jazz offers with a knowing smirk. 

 

Valerie’s gaze moves downward, taking notice of the folded clothing she was being offered. “Oh yea kinda, thanks…” she says sheepishly.

 

“Sorry we couldn't save your top, but I found some of my old clothes that hopefully will fit,” the redhead offers with a smile. “If it helps, I think our parents are going to be heading out to your apartment later this afternoon to get some essentials from your place.”

 

Valerie nodded almost on autopilot. She was just going to be happy to have a few sets of fresh undergarments. “Wouldn't it be safer for my dad to stay here under the shields?” Valerie asks, her foggy mind finally starting to catch up.

 

Jazz’s face contorts into an odd amalgamate of nervous and knowing, before finally trying to appear confident. “Look I'll be honest,” she says her voice dropping to a near whisper, as her eyes dart nervously down the hall as if checking the coast is clear. “If Vlad is after you, he has ways around the shield. And if he's confident enough…” Jazz trailed off allowing her words to sink in.

 

Valerie’s eyes widened as something seemed to click into place. “You know about Plasmius!” she whisper yelled. 

 

The older teen seemed taken back by the outburst for a split second, before allowing a grimace. Jazz's brain began working overtime as she started fishing for some plausible excuse.

 

“Phantom's told you he's found bugs in our house before right? Who do you think let him in to find them?” Jazz states plainly.

 

That… actually made a lot of sense. 

 

“Make sure you don't take too long to come down for breakfast. If it stays cooking too long you'll have to fight it off before you can eat it,” Jazz begins to walk away snapping Valerie out of her thoughts and back into reality.

 

“Right…” The dark haired teen shudders out. No one could forget about last month's bake sale… She was downstairs and sitting at the table in six minutes flat.

 

Maddie stands in front of the stove, watching something that might be eggs sizzling in the pan. She hums a small tune while she works, not paying too much attention to the green color they're starting to take.

 

Jack and Damon are already seated when Valerie arrives, the larger man talking her father's ears off about ghosts. She can't help but wince. Her poor Dad.

 

There's footsteps from the stairwell as Jazz returns with a half asleep Danny in tow, the younger rubbing his eyes and yawning. 

 

The siblings seat themselves, Danny sticking to the chair closest to the bathroom. He must have the same bathroom issues outside of school. Valerie stops herself from chuckling at the thought, lest she be rude.

 

Maddie's humming and Jack's booming voice do nothing to phase the Fenton siblings, Danny still looking especially tired. Valerie can only suppose this is a normal day in this house.

 

There's a sharp intake of breath across the room from Maddie, and the sound of something metal getting smashed.

 

Seeing everyone tense, it was obvious  _ that _ wasn't a normal occurrence. 

 

Maddie is staring wide eyed at something on the counter, further neglecting the green eggs in the frying pan. She thinks she had swatted a beetle, but on further inspection, it isn't the case.

 

Jazz and Danny exchanged a look and joined their mother by the oven, Danny having the forethought to turn off the stove. Maddie took the paper towel she had tried to squish the offending insect with, and began sweeping up the bits of metal onto it.

 

“What on earth…?” She asks more to herself then anyone else. She places the napkin on the counter before opening the junk drawer to fish about. She eventually finds what appeared to be some sort of modified magnifying glass which she uses to inspect the small bits of metal.

 

“Hey doesn't that look like one of those bug things from Plasmius?” Jazz asks looking over her mother's shoulder. 

 

“It's what?!” Jack boomed bounding over to his wife. She handed him the Fenton Magnifier for him to inspect the insect, pulling out a pair of tweezers from one of his pockets. “Fascinating, this baby has an ecto-powered core but is primarily carbon based materials! Even has gold plated circuitry, sealed gaskets for waterproofing, binaural recording…” Jack looks at his wife with large grin before declaring loudly. “This needs further analysis! Mads! To the lab!”

 

And with that, the Fenton parents bound down the stairs, a mix of worry and excitement on their faces. Valerie blinks at the display. It wasn't often she was reminded that Jack was a genius in his own right as well. 

 

“....Toaster pastry?” 

 

“Sorry what?” Valerie asks, pulled from her musings by the youngest Fenton.

 

“I asked if you wanted a toaster pastry, since my parents probably won't be back up anytime soon.” He asks again holding up a silver package. Valerie nods blankly, still processing what had just happened.

 

“The eggs have eyes…” Jazz sighs grabbing the fry pan. “I'll put them with the others.” With that she disappears down into the basement herself. 

 

“Does this happen often?” Damon asks, eyes darting nervously to the stove.

 

“Three maybe four times a week?” Danny offers pulling out a toaster from a cupboard, plugging it in beside a green one that was already on the counter. 

 

Valerie was about to ask why they had a hidden toaster until she notices the branded Fenton logo on the side of the green one. She didn't even want to even imagine what the term ‘food fight’ means in the Fenton household... 

 

It only took a few minutes for the pastry to return back up fully heated, and not flailing about on the napkin Danny had offered it to her on. For that she was thankful, especially with the commotion she'd heard downstairs. 

 

Jazz appeared shortly after the first bite of her breakfast had been taken looking slightly frazzled with her hair sticking up.

 

“Vicious today?” Danny chuckles as his sister reaches for an apple. 

 

Instead of answering outright she simply stares blankly at her brother. “You want a ride or not?” she asks flatly.

 

Danny shrugs, playfully smirking at his sister. “I mean it's not  _ that _ far of a walk.”

 

“Har, har. Do you wanna  _ walk _ with Valerie then?” 

 

“Ah, good point. Ride would be nice…” Danny grins sheepishly polishing off the rest of his meager meal.

 

“it would be best to go by car I think as well, I don't want you exposed any more then you have to be.” Damon states simply. 

 

Danny and Jazz share a look before Jazz sighs. “Portable shield or spector deflectors?” Danny grimaces.

 

“Right… on it.” Jazz sighs deeply rubbing her forehead. 

 

Valerie watches the exchange with raised brow which Danny returns with a knowing, yet sheepish smile. “We should head out.” He states.

 

“Yes, but regardless of this insanity…” Damon runs a hand through his haIr before moving to embrace his daughter. “Please be safe. I don't know what I'd ever do if… if…” The man trails off unable to continue.

 

“You lost me too?” Valerie asks barely above a whisper in her father's ear, as she tightly returns his hug.

 

Her father tenses and instead of answering buries his face into her bushy hair. 

 

Once they broke apart she made eye contact with Danny who offered a sort of half smile, though his eyes held something different that she couldn't quite place. 

 

“I love you dad, I'll text you in between classes alright?” she asks softly.

 

“Please do sweetheart, love you too….” The man replies in earnest.

 

Valerie turns to exit Fentonworks her mind racing and reeling from everything that's happening, and everything that has yet to happen. She follows Danny through the house to the garage, where Jazz was waiting for them.

 

“Here,” the redhead offers, presenting Valerie with a silvery belt with a switch and a dial. “It'll keep ghosts from being able to lay a hand on you. Keep the dial at max, the switch will turn it off if you need a hand from Phantom.” 

 

Valerie gives a swift nod. While she still would have her suit, it was all bit useless if Masters could disable it on a whim. That monster would never allow her a fair fight. 

 

Fenton tech, however, had no such issues.

 

Maybe she could bring it up to the Fentons, the possibility of making her a whole new nanosuit?

 

“All good, Val?” Danny's voice pulled her out of her musings.

 

“Yeah, I'm ready.” she responds steeling herself for what lay ahead. She settles into the back seat of Jazz's car before nodding to herself, though it did little to calm her coiled nerves. 

 

Though, as they drive through the city, Valerie can't help but feel unsure. Would a crowd of students offer protection for her? Or would they make her a bigger target?

 

She looks to find some comfort in Danny, who's sitting across from her. He's also tense. Though belted into his seat, Danny appears to be squishing himself against the door.

 

Keeping as far from Valerie as possible. That much is obvious. The Huntress feels her thoughts dragged back to the early morning, when she confronted Danny earlier.

 

Was that a lie? A white lie to make her feel better? Why else would he be avoiding her like this? The thought forms another awful knot into her tangled up gut.

 

"Danny…?" Valerie reaches out to a free hand, but he quickly drags it against himself with a sharp jolt.

 

Their eyes lock a minute, emerald meeting sapphire. Emerald full of hurt. Sapphire full of fear. And then the gaze breaks.

 

It's a silent, painful drive to school. Hopefully classes would be better.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Browa: If you notice any glaring errors, be sure to let us know!


End file.
